THE Seventh-day Adventist Church in Jamaica has called on its more than 300,000 members, other church groups and the wider society to take a stand against violence and abuse, especially against children and adolescents.
“The victims should be our priority. It cannot be about saving face, it’s about saving lives,” Dr Lorraine Vernal, family, women, child and adolescent director of the Jamaica Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, said yesterday.
She was addressing members of the press during the launch of the ‘Year of Child and Adolescent’ at the church’s regional headquarters in Kingston yesterday.
“Let us be intentional as parents, teachers and authority figures about learning the difference between abuse and discipline. We must break the silence about all types of abuse and report them, even if the perpetrator is a relative, pastor or community leader,” she is quoted as saying in a release from the church.
Vernal stated that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is committed to making its church a safe place for children and adolescents.
“We take seriously our responsibility to minimise the risk of child sexual abuse and violence against children in the congregational setting. As leaders we must see attacks on our children as evil and so we must live ethically and pay attention to making our churches and other institutions safe places for the young,” Vernal said.
